Aerial navigation.



M. B. SELLERS. AERIAL NAVIGATION. APPLICATION FILED AUG.8,1912.

1,096,129. Patented May12,1914.

Inventor WA/meme MATTHEW B. SELLERS, BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

, AERIAL NAVIGATION.

Specification of Letters Patent,

Application filed August 8, 1912. Serial No. 714,081.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MATTHEW B. SELLERS; a citizen of the United States, and resident of Baltimore, Maryland, have invented a therein described.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is aside elevation of a portion of the aeroplane described in my patent referred to, showing th'e ap-.

plication of the new device for releasing the I wheels. Fig. 2 is a front view of the catch shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail'view showing part of the wheel frame. Fig; 4 is a plan view of the rear part of the wheel frame showing thewhole detent mechanism.

Fig. 5 is detail section of the loop. Fig. 6 is the rear elevation of the string gear as nowused.

' As stated in my patent referred to, the

wheels of this machine are held below the runners or skids during the preliminary run by a suitable detent means, which is afterward automatically released allowing the machine to alight on the skids; and this can be done in various ways. The releasing device herein described seems by long trial to be thebest Thefdetent means here employed is here shown in Fig. 4, which shows the rear portion of the front 'wheel frame,

- being similar to thatshown'in Fig. 5 of the previous patent; and, as there designated,

frame. I When the wheels are down as here. .shown, the loops L and L on the main frame bars 1? and P, project through holes in the cross bar T as shown in detail section in Fig. 5. .The pins I and I on the lever J engage these loops as shown in Fig. 4; and

the loop F, engaging the eye K, holds the lever in this position, against the pull of the spring S. When the hook F, is with drawn, the lever J, is thrown back withdrawing the pins and permitting thewheel frame to rise as shown in Fig. 3. The wheel frame can then be drawn up by a spring, or.

forcedup by contact ofthe wheels with the ground; The automatic device for withdrawing the' hook, and releasing'the Wheels,- is shownin Fig. 1, which is a side elevation of a portion of the machine described in the previous patent. The wing B, corresponds to the wing B, in Figs. 1 and 2 thereof, and 1s supported by the inclined strut E. The post Gr, extending from this strut to the chassis as shown. The front wing spar B, is attached to the strut, and the rear spar is supported by the prop M, which is free to move up and down about one inch, and is normally held down by the spring C. The

passes through an eyeaffixed to M, While the other end is in contact with the catch D, shown in Fig. 2. A wire from this catch runs down to a lever F, operating the hook F. Now the spring C, is so adjusted that the air pressure due to the propeller blast, together with that due to forward motion sufli'ces to raise the wing B and the post M. as far as it will go and hold it there. The end of lever A, will then engage the tooth H, Fig. 2. When however the propeller is stopped, the pressure on the wing is diminished and the prop M, descends; the lever A, will raise the tooth H, and therefore the hook F, releasing the wheels. A similar device can also be used to actuate any other mechanism provided that its action coincides with a variation in air pressure on the wing.

The steering gear described in the prea horizontal handle bar on a vertical post, with a forwardly was rotated for elevating; and turned in a horizontal plane, for warping and steering. It was soon-found unsatisfactory to combine warping and steering in one mo- .was found'to give the best results, this is shown. in detail in Fig. 6. The steering bar is journaled in the tube 4, which is rigidly attached to the block 2, pivoted at 3 on the post 1, Which'is journaled at its'ends. To the'steering barb, is aflixed the drum 7 and the block carries the upwardly projecting arm 8, having the two guide pulleys at its .upper end. The cords 9, 9 are fastened to the drum, pass over the guide pulleys 10; and lead to the top plane in the manner described in the previous patent, and there shown in Figs. 1 and 12 at Y If now the rum is rotated backward the cords 9, 9 are Patented May 12, 1914.

lever A, is pivoted at'A and one end of it tion, and the modification herein described vious patent Figs: 14, 15 and 16, comprisedqo projecting arm. The bar tightened'thus increasing the. angle of at dle bar is tipped or inclined sidewise as shown, the cord 9 is tightened, while 9 iscorrespondingly slackened, thus increasing the angle of one wing while diminishing that of the other; (controlling lateral stability). The lines from the rudder run to the ends of the steering bar as before In the machine (quadruplane) described, the forward and highest plane acts as an elevator and lateral stabilizer as just stated; but in a similar machine with two planes a separate elevator is desirable; in which case the line from the elevator is led directly to the drum from a fixed guide pulley; while the lines 9 and 9 are attached to the end of arm 8, The steering device herein described is made the subject of my application No. 'i l9 ll2filed Feb. 9, 1913,

I claim.

1. In an aeroplane having wheeis and skids and a detent means holding the wheels in a lowered position; a device for actuating v said detent means comprising a wing or portion thereof adapted to rise a limited distance under the pressure of the air in flight, a spring depressing said wing when the pres sure is reduced, a lever suitably connected with said wing and engaging a catch when said wing is raised, and actuating the catch when the wing is depressed, connection between the catch and the detent means substantially as described.

In an aeroplane having skids and wheels, a detent means for releasing the wheels, and an automatic device for actuating said detent means comprising a wing or portion thereof, adapted to rise a limited distance under pressure of the air in flight, a spring depressing the wing when'said pressure is reduced a catch,means connected with the wing, and engaging the catch when the wing is raised, and actuating the catch when the wing is lowered, connection between the catch and said detent means.

the wing is depressedgconnection between the catch and the detent means.

4. In an aeroplane, a wing or portion thereof adapted to rise a limited distance under the pressure of the air in flight; a spring depressing said wing when the pressure is reduced, a catch a lever suitably connected with said wing and engaging the catch when the win is raised, and actuating the catch when 5163 wing is depressed, a mechanism to be actuated, suitable connection between the catchand said mechanism to actuate the same.

-5. In anaeroplane a wing or portion thereof adapted to rise a limited distance under the pressure of the air in flight, a spring depressing said wing when the pres sure is reduced, a catch, a lever suitably connected with said wing, adapted to engage the catch when the wing is raised; and to actuate the catch, when the wing is depressed, substantially as described.

Signed in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

MATTHEW B. SELLERS. Witnesses:

JNo. E. MARSHALL, EMMETTE R. SPENCER. 

